Over 25 years ago, I co-founded MEND, developing what is now recognized as a gold standard, evidence-based program for obesity in childhood.

I’m proud that MEND is still going strong – and now, through Healthy Weight Partnership, Inc. (MEND and Healthy Together Programs), we’re expanding its reach across the US with AI support at the core. Our first focus is parents, giving them practical, accessible tools for their children, themselves, and often the whole family.

Since much of my recent work has been on building safe, effective, human-facing AI systems for obesity care, it feels only right to bring that experience back to the program I’m most proud of creating. Safety and impact remain central – “do no harm” has always been my guiding principle and will continue to be so.

This is a chance to scale impact like never before, helping many thousands more families access the support they need easily and on their own timing.

. . . and while we’re pursuing a number of grant opportunities, we’re also open to exploring other ways to accelerate this journey. If you’re interested in supporting or partnering with MEND, we would  be glad to hear from you. Watch this space!